I have never in my life played a single Lego video game. I know what you are thinking, how in the world is that even possible? I really don’t know. I always knew they where there but never actually played them. Now that I have experienced LEGO Marvel Superheroes, I can say I need to go back and try some of the others. It’s really a fun game.

LEGO Marvel tells the story of Doctor Doom trying to create a Doom Ray of Doom to use on the world and its heroes. Now, it’s up to the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine and many others to band together and stop Doom and other super villains from taking over the world. The story is one of humor and charm. As menacing as the bad guys may sound, there’s always some funny joke lined up for them or some kind of slapstick routine that gives it a light-hearted feel.

This reminds me of a puzzle.

The game revolves around story missions that have players taking control of numerous heroes. Each level is broken down into areas where small puzzles must be solved to progress. Certain things in the environment can be interacted with depending on the character used. This is where the puzzles come into play. Knowing who to use and when to use them is key to figuring out what to do next. Certain things can only be interacted with by Spider-Man or a “web-slinging hero.” Larger objects may need to be grabbed by The Incredible Hulk. Each level has their own unique feel to them and offers up different bosses and enemies to fight.

While it is not really difficult in any way, I did have a few problems with figuring out what to do or where to go next, mainly because of all the things happening on the screen. It became a little confusing at times, but after some thought I was always able to make it through.

During each level, players will collect studs, both by finding them in the environments as well as destroying things and enemies though superpowers. There are tons to collect and trying to get them all may result in boredom. I found it best to just keep going through the levels and worrying about the studs after finishing the level. When finishing the level, players unlock the ability to replay them using any heroes they have acquired. They will have to if they want to discover everything the level has to offer. Many times the heroes used in the main level are not the ones that can open all the doors or paths.

Howard the Duck is in this game. Not kidding.

New York City serves as the hub world. Here, players can take on small missions with people on the streets or even visit familiar locales like the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier or Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, and with a ton of characters ranging from popular to obscure, the fan service is in full effect here. Any Marvel Comics fan will find something to geek out over. Players can even create their own characters in the Helicarrier and use them in the free play missions.

The game oozes charm. While the voice acting is well done, some still don’t fit while others are perfect. There’s one thing for sure, the story may be a little goofy at times, but with the presentation and voice acting in place, it is a very entertaining run that had me chuckling throughout. The small touches like having Iron Man do the robot when he’s not moving around and the fact that players can choose to turn Bruce Banner into the Hulk at any given time are fun and entertaining.

The differences between the PS4 version and the last gen versions are rather minimal. Aside from being able to take screenshots and post videos of my game play, they are identical. I will say the game looks rather nice even for a minimal LEGO game, and the frame rate was smooth as butter with not even a single drop.

Give me some online, guys.

Players can play co-op as well. Unfortunately it is only local co-op. It would have been great to have another buddy online playing with me throughout the levels, but I guess we’ll have to settle for couch co-op.

Fans of Lego games will sure have a fun time with LEGO Marvel. Marvel fans will find a ton of references and fan service, and parents looking for something to play with their kids will find a really fun and charming game in Lego Marvel, and since The Avengers is such a hot ticket with the kids these days, I sure they’ll love it. I was deeply surprised at how much fun I had with it. It has opened my eyes to the LEGO universe. So if you’re a fan of the LEGO series or Marvel Comics, you should probably pick this up. You may be surprised at how much fun it can really be.